The Shar‘i Hijab and the Hijab of Hypocrisy

The Shar‘i Hijab and the Hijab of Hypocrisy

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds alone. May peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. To proceed:

Foundations of the Muslim Woman’s Dress

A Muslim woman’s clothing must be ample, covering her entire body from men who are not her mahrams. She may uncover for her mahrams only what custom permits, such as the face and hands and feet. It must conceal what is beneath it, so it is not transparent showing skin color. It must not be tight, delineating the shape of her body.

("صِنْفَانِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ لَمْ أَرَهُمَا: نِسَاءٌ كَاسِيَاتٌ عَارِيَاتٌ مَائِلَاتٌ مُمِيلَاتٌ، رُؤُوسُهُنَّ كَأَسْنِمَةِ الْبُخْتِ...")

“Two categories of the people of the Fire I have not seen: women clothed yet naked, deviating and making others deviate, with their heads like the humps of Bactrian camels... they will not enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance.” (Muslim)

Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) explained “clothed yet naked” as wearing what does not cover—like a thin garment that reveals the skin, or a tight garment that displays the contours. True covering is that which neither shows the body nor its size because it is thick and loose.

Not Resembling Men

She must not imitate men in dress. The Prophet ﷺ cursed women who imitate men and the mannish among women. Resemblance is wearing what is specific to men in a given society by type or manner. Ibn Taymiyyah noted that the difference returns to what is suitable for each sex considering what they are commanded: women are commanded to conceal and observe hijab, not to display and appear. Thus it was not legislated for a woman to raise her voice in adhān, nor to make talbiyah aloud, nor to uncover in ihrām as men do. Men are commanded to uncover the head in ihrām and avoid tailored clothing; women are not, for they are commanded to cover. She is prevented from niqāb and gloves in ihrām because they are garments tailored to the limb, though she covers her face from men with other coverings. When a garment is both insufficiently covering and resembles men’s clothing, it is forbidden for both reasons.

No Public Adornment

Her dress must not be an adornment that attracts attention when she goes out, lest she be among those who display their finery.

Qur’anic Evidence for Hijab

("وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ...")

“And not expose their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers…” (An-Nur 24:31, Sahih International)

("وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ")

“And when you ask [the Prophet’s wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.” (Al-Ahzab 33:53, Sahih International)

("يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ")

“O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments.” (Al-Ahzab 33:59, Sahih International)

“Hijab” means the woman covers her entire body from non-mahram men. Though the verse of 33:53 addresses the Prophet’s wives, its ruling is general, since Allah gave the reason: “That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.” A general reason indicates a general ruling.

Ibn Taymiyyah said: the jilbāb is the cloak (milā’ah), what Ibn Mas‘ūd called the rida’, and the public calls the izār—the large wrap that covers her head so only an eye appears; of its type is the niqāb.

Sunnah Evidence for Covering the Face

‘Ā’ishah (RA) said: “Riders used to pass by us while we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in ihrām. When they drew near, one of us would lower her jilbāb from her head over her face; when they passed, we would uncover.” (Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah)

The proofs for covering the face from non-mahrams are many in Qur’an and Sunnah. For detailed treatments, see the works of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Bāz, al-Tuwayjirī, and Ibn ‘Uthaymīn.

On Those Who Permitted Uncovering the Face

Those scholars who permitted uncovering the face—though their view is weaker—conditioned it upon safety from temptation. In our time, temptation is not safe: diminished religious restraint, scant modesty, abundant callers to fitnah, and elaborate facial adornment all incite. So beware and adhere to the hijab that shields from fitnah by Allah’s leave.

The “Hijab of Hypocrisy”

Some wear hijab only where it is socially expected, removing it where it is not; some veil in public spaces yet unveil in shops, hospitals, or before male jewelers or tailors as if before a husband or mahram. We have seen women on flights who unveil abroad and only veil when landing here—treating hijab as custom, not devotion. Fear Allah, and know that hijab protects you from the poisoned gazes of diseased hearts and the “dogs” among men. It cuts off ravenous lusts. Hold fast to it and ignore hostile propaganda:

("وَيُرِيدُ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الشَّهَوَاتِ أَنْ تَمِيلُوا مَيْلًا عَظِيمًا")

“Those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.” (An-Nisa 4:27, Sahih International)

Etiquette When Going to the Mosque

• Full covering: ‘Ā’ishah (RA) said: “Women prayed with the Messenger ﷺ then returned wrapped in their mantles; none recognized them due to the darkness.” (Agreed upon)
• No perfume: He ﷺ said: “Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from the mosques of Allah, and let them go forth unperfumed.” (Ahmad, Abū Dāwūd) He ﷺ also said: “Any woman who applies incense should not attend ‘Ishā’ with us.” (Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī)
• No display of adornment: ‘Ā’ishah (RA) said: “If the Messenger ﷺ saw of women what we have seen, he would have prevented them from the mosque as the Children of Israel prevented their women.” (Agreed upon)
• Row placement: If one woman only, she stands alone behind the men. If more, they form rows behind the boys. He ﷺ “placed men in front of boys, and boys behind them, and women behind the boys.” (Ahmad) He ﷺ said: “The best rows of men are the first, and the worst are the last; the best rows of women are the last, and the worst are the first.” (The compilers except al-Bukhārī)
• Alerting the imām: If the imām errs, men say “Subḥānallāh” and women clap the palm on the palm, per his ﷺ instruction.
• Departure after salām: Women should leave promptly after the salām, while the men wait, as reported by Umm Salamah (RA).

Imām al-Nawawī summarized differences in congregational prayer: it is less emphasized for women than men; a woman leading women stands in the middle of their row; a single woman stands behind a man, not at his side; when women are present with men, their last rows are best, and they should not be dispersed when behind men. From this and other evidences, mixing between men and women is prohibited—and if mixing is forbidden in the very place of worship, then elsewhere is even more so.

May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.